1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developer containing unit configured to contain a developer, a process cartridge including the developer containing unit, and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including the process cartridge.
The image forming apparatus mentioned herein forms, for example, an image on a recording medium by using an electrophotographic image forming process, which includes, for example, an electrophotographic copy machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, a light emitting diode (LED) printer and a laser beam printer), and an electrophotographic facsimile machine.
The cartridge is a component including a developing device accommodating at least a developing unit and a developer, which is integrally formed in the component, and configured to be removably mountable to an image forming apparatus main body or a component including a developing device and a photosensitive member unit including at least a photosensitive member, which are integrally formed in the component, and configured to be removably mountable to the image forming apparatus main body.
The developer containing unit is a component which is accommodated in the image forming apparatus or the cartridge. The developer containing unit includes at least a flexible container configured to contain the developer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus using the electrophotographic image forming process employs a process cartridge system in which an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a corresponding process unit are integrated into a cartridge and this cartridge is removably mountable to a main body of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
In such a process cartridge, the following system is widely employed. As illustrated in FIG. 20, an opening portion of a developer containing frame 31 that contains a developer (toner, carrier) is sealed with a sealing member. When using the process cartridge, a junctional portion 33 of a toner seal 32 that serves as the sealing member is pulled away to open the opening portion so that the developer can be supplied (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H04-66980).
Further, to cope with a problem in that the developer is scattered in the process cartridge in a process of filling the developer when manufacturing the process cartridge, a technology using a deformable inner container has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H04-66980).
In this manner, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H04-66980, a method of containing the developer in a deformable inner container is described for the purpose of increasing an operability in supplying the developer and reducing the cost of the developer supplying device by preventing the developer from being scattered in the device. However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H04-66980 does not describe an operation and a mechanism regarding discharge of the developer after unsealing the deformable developer containing member (flexible container).